The Trump Deficit

The US deficit is rising (both total and as a ratio to GDP) since Trump took office.

The total deficit for 2018 was $779 billion.

As of May 2019, the deficit for the year is $739 billion.
Projections for 2019 total are $1.1 trillion.

Since that would definitely break the debt ceiling, Dems and the GOP have agreed to raise the limit the US can borrow.

Trump and Republicans (as always), claimed that the economic stimulus would pay for the tax creaks - but despite the economy chugging along, tax revenue is falling further and further behind spending.

This can only be called the Trump Deficit, as the President is doing exactly what he has done all his life: spending other people's money.

Drug mastermind

This is one of the funniest stories I’ve seen for some time:


https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/nsw...ng-b881268522z

Quote:

A van packed with more than $200 million worth of drugs has crashed into several police cars parked outside a police station in Sydney. Police say a 26-year-old man was driving the van when it hit the cop cars outside Eastwood Police Station about 10.30am on Monday. Officers pursued the van, stopping it in the nearby suburb of Ryde where a search uncovered several boxes containing 273 kilograms of the drug ice, NSW Police said in a statement on Tuesday.

Darwin Award winning quality for sure. I reckon this guy would have taken, what? five minutes before disclosing the identity of the organisers. Who in turn would be worthy winners of the Darwin Award themselves “now listen son, you will have $200m worth of ice in the van. Stay sober and clean and it might be a good idea not to go past police stations. And whatever you do, don’t crash into a police car”.

Priceless.

Think I got away with that...

Just to show that other countries don't have the monopoly on reely-dum crooks.

Quote:

Van carrying 270kg of ice worth $200m crashes into parked police cars in Sydney A Sydney driver, who allegedly crashed a van carrying $200m worth of the drug ice into parked police cars outside a station in Sydney’s north-west, has been locked up.

There is even video, so it was obviously a rather secure location.

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...ed-police-cars

Think he was doing a little QA while driving? Or dropped his burner phone?

Gawd... $200 million. His boss is gonna be SO pleased about this. :rolleyes:

Puerto Rico

Corruption. Arrests. Resignations. Possible impeachment proceedings. Vulgar and insulting text messages. It's quite a shocking political scandal.

Massive protests held in Puerto Rico after governor refuses to step down

Quote:

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Puerto Rico to demand the resignation of the island's embattled governor, Ricardo Rosselló. It comes a day after Mr Rosselló said he would not step down over a leaked online chat in which he and top aides exchanged obscenity-laced messages. The texts included homophobic slurs as well as insults about victims of the deadly Hurricane Maria in 2017. Monday's protest is expected to be the largest in the US territory's history.

'He must resign': Thousands shut down Puerto Rico streets demanding Gov. Ricardo Rosselló step down

Quote:

The controversy began less than two weeks ago with the arrest of Rosselló associates on corruption charges. The next day, the texts began emerging, and a few days later Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism published 889 pages. Rosselló's targets included former New York City Council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. Rosselló, upset that Mark-Viverito had challenged Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez's support for statehood for Puerto Rico, called her a "whore." And when a colleague texted that he was "salivating to shoot" the mayor, Rosselló responded that he would consider it a favor. Rosselló and his associates made light of the suffering Maria imposed on island residents and used vulgar language regarding a federal board overseeing the island’s finances. Even island musical star Ricky Martin was not spared: A Rosselló associate used tasteless language to describe Martin's homosexuality. . . . "They mocked our dead, they mocked women, they mocked the LGBT community," Martin said in a Twitter video. "They made fun of people with physical and mental disabilities, they made fun of obesity. It's enough. This cannot be." Rosselló also has drawn ire on the mainland; “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was among protesters gathered last week in New York. Also, Puerto Rico’s nonvoting member of Congress, Jenniffer Gonzalez; Sen. Rick Scott of Florida; and New York Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez have demanded Rosselló step aside.

Impeachment committee forms in Puerto Rico as protesters call for Gov. Rosselló to resign

Quote:

San Juan, Puerto Rico (CNN)As thousands of people crowded the streets calling for Gov. Ricardo Rosselló to step down, the president of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives created a special committee on Friday to advise him on whether the governor committed impeachable offenses. . . . While Rosselló has refused to step down, two Cabinet members who participated in the chats resigned July 13. And on Friday, one of his aides -- press secretary Dennise Peréz -- also stepped down. . . . The leak came the same week that two former officials from Rosselló's administration were arrested by the FBI as part of a federal corruption investigation.

Another roku question?

I am seriously considering getting rid of my cable, and buying a Roku box. I am looking for opinions as to whether this is a good choice, and if so, how to buy a good one?

My cable had gone up to $104. over the past few months, and I caught it late. They reduced it by $20., to $84., and removed several good channels! So I really want out! Thanks.

UK’s Greatest Health threats will come from abroad, England’s top doctor warns

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-h...ds-top-doctor/

The good doctor is (naturally) very careful with her words but is simply stating the obvious.

You import tens or hundreds of thousands of people from "developing" countries and you import a whole lot else with them.

Bizarre crime story in UK

Was a bit difficult to think of an appropriate title for this one which would pithily describe the gist of this story, so I went with the above.

Hunt led by Princess Diana's sister sued after one of its staff assaulted a legal observer

I think you need to read the whole thing for full effect, but here are some of the more important bits:

Quote:

Former police officer Darryl Cunnington, 60, suffered a fractured vertebra after being pushed down a steep slope while monitoring the activities of the Belvoir Hunt. The hunt’s kennel man, George Grant, 58, and his 26-year-old son Thomas were both sentenced to 13-months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, theft, and criminal damage to property.

(The sentence being suspended means that they likely won't actually spend any time in prison.)
But here's the thing, this was not just a matter of these men losing their temper, it was planned.

Quote:

Mr Cunnington and Mr Swaine were attacked after four men in balaclavas were called by Grant and his son during a hunt on March 12, 2016. The pair were observing the hunt from a bridleway near Strathern, in Leicestershire, to ensure it was taking place in a lawful manner. Leicester Crown Court heard in June 2018 that during a confrontation with Mr Cunnington and Mr Swain, Grant told his son: “Go and get the boys and come back”. His son returned a short time later with four “masked men” wearing dark clothes, their faces covered by balaclavas. In the ensuing melee Mr Cunnington was pushed off a ledge and down a 14ft slope and repeatedly kicked as he lay on the ground. Mr Swain was pushed down a 6ft slope. His camera was stolen and the assailants also tried to steal Mr Cunnington’s camera.

In other words, they had four "boys" with masks to conceal their identities standing by to attack these observers. That's not a spur-of-the-moment thing. Furthermore, it is clear that Mr Grant and his son know the identities of these assailants. Yet they refuse to name them. And yet the leniency.

Quote:

A writ now lodged with the High Court claims Grant and his son, a volunteer with the hunt, refused to name the four masked men, who have never been traced.

Anyway, the Lady Sarah McCorquodale vouched for her man, but at the same time denies that she or the hunt had anything to do with the planning of this assault.